I am a historical geographer, trained at Cambridge (BA), Ohio State (MA), and Queen's (PhD). I taught at the University of British Columbia and University of Toronto before taking present position at McMaster.

I have published in historical, geographical, and urban studies journals on the subject of residential segregation, urban politics, home ownership, suburban development, house building, and housing policy, chiefly in North America. 'Unplanned Suburbs. Toronto's American Tragedy, 1900-1950' (Johns Hopkins, 1996), won awards. Most recent book is 'Creeping Conformity. How Canada Became Suburban' (University of Toronto Press, 2004). I have recently complteed a book manuscript on the rise of home improvement in North America, 1905-1960. My research has been supported by grants the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, a Fulbright, and fellowships from the Australian National University and the British Academy.

I teach courses in housing, urban social geography, and urban historical geography.